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Was the Honda S2000 Honda’s Last Rear-Wheel-Drive Model?

Honda’s S2000 revived the company’s front-engine, rear-drive sports-car layout after the S800. Production ended in 2009, but the evidence does not establish it as Honda’s last RWD model of any kind.
Entry018 Date Time2 min MechanicCarCody Team
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The Honda S2000 was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-seat sports car, and it marked Honda’s return to that sports-car layout after the S800. Honda ended S2000 production in 2009. But the available Honda records here do not establish that it was the last Honda of any kind with rear-wheel drive, so the broad claim needs qualification.

Was the S2000 Honda’s last rear-wheel-drive car?

Not as an unqualified claim about every Honda model. Honda’s sources establish the S2000’s place in the company’s front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports-car history, but they do not prove it was Honda’s final rear-wheel-drive vehicle of any type.

Honda Europe described the S2000 as Honda’s first front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car since the S800. That makes the S2000 a return to a particular layout, not evidence that no later Honda used rear-wheel drive. Honda’s archived S660 model page records that model through March 2022 but does not state its drivetrain; that archive alone cannot settle the broader question.

What was the S2000’s drivetrain?

The S2000 was a two-seat open sports car with its engine at the front and power delivered to the rear wheels. Honda’s Japanese launch announcement called the layout “FR.” This configuration, paired with a six-speed manual in the 2009 US specifications, is what distinguishes the S2000 in this Honda history.

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Tamiya 1: 24 300024245 – Honda S2000
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When did Honda stop making the S2000?

Honda announced on January 27, 2009, that worldwide S2000 production would conclude by the end of June that year. The final European edition was the Ultimate Edition. Honda reported more than 110,000 S2000s sold worldwide through December 2008, including more than 20,000 in Japan; those are the company’s figures at that cutoff, not a later lifetime total.

Key milestones in the production run

  • April 1999: Honda says the S2000 debuted in Japan.
  • 2000: Honda added VGS to the Type V.
  • 2004: Production moved to Suzuka.
  • 2005: Engine displacement increased from 2.0 to 2.2 liters.
  • 2007: Honda added the Type S.
  • June 2009: Honda planned to end production for all regions by the end of the month.

How did the S2000’s specifications change by market and year?

Figures for the original Japanese launch car and the 2009 US model describe different versions. They should not be combined as if they were specifications for every S2000.

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Jada Toys Suki'S 2001 Honda S2000 - 2 Fast 2 Furious 1:24 Diecast Model, Multi-colored, Yes (97604)
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Version Engine and output Engine-speed figure Other listed details
1999 Japanese launch model 2.0-liter naturally aspirated DOHC VTEC four-cylinder; 250 PS at 8,300 rpm Maximum engine speed: 9,000 rpm Two-seat open sports car; front-engine, rear-drive layout
2009 US model 2,157 cc; 237 hp at 7,800 rpm; 162 lb-ft at 6,800 rpm Redline: 8,000 rpm Six-speed manual transmission and torque-sensing limited-slip differential

The first row reflects Honda Motor Co.’s 1999 Japanese launch announcement; the second reflects American Honda’s 2009 US fact sheet. The 250 PS launch figure is not the same rating as the later US figure of 237 hp.

US 2009 tire sizes

American Honda’s 2009 fact sheet lists these original tire sizes. They apply to those US model configurations, not automatically to every S2000, wheel setup or market.

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Jada Toys Fast & Furious 1:24 Johnny's Honda S2000 Die-cast Car, Toys for Kids and Adults, Black
  • Rubber Tires. Brand New Box. Detailed Interior, Exterior. Opening Hood, Trunk And Doors. Made Of Diecast With Some Plastic Parts. Dimensions Approximately L-8, W-3.5, H-3.25 Inches
  • As Seen In The Fast & The Furious, Johnny'S Honda S2000 Has Been Taken Directly From The Big Screen And Brought To You In A 1:24 Scale Die - Cast Model
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2009 US configuration Front Rear
Standard model 215/45 R17 245/40 R17
CR 215/45 R17 255/40 R17
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Why is the S2000 associated with Honda’s rear-drive history?

Honda’s own historical framing places the S2000 after the S800 as a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive Honda sports car. Its significance is therefore clearest when described narrowly: it represented Honda’s return to that sports-car layout in 1999, and production ended in 2009. That account does not turn “final RWD model” into a proven claim about every subsequent Honda vehicle.

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Jada Toys Suki'S 2001 Honda S2000 - 2 Fast 2 Furious 1:24 Diecast Model, Multi-colored, Yes (97604)
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Jada 2001 Honda S2000 Convertible, Fast & Furious Remix - 25th Anniversary Toys 35629-1/32 Scale Diecast Model Car
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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